Protective cage for blow-off cocks



April 14,192s. 1,533,088

E. BECKER 4 PROTECTIVE CAGE FOR BLOW-OFF COCKS Filed July 9, 1925 2 Sheds-Sheet 1 Jim/4%? April 14, 1925. 1,533,088

E. BECKER rxoucnvs CAGE FOR BLOW-OFF cocxs Filed July 9, 1923 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Apr. 14, 1925.

UNITED STATES PATENT o ERNEST :BECKER-, or GREEN BAY, Wisconsin, ASSIGNOR or one- AL WILSON, or CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

PROTECTIVE CAGE FOR BLOWOFF COCKS.

Application filed July 9, 1923. Serial No.'650,241.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, ERNEST BECKER, a cit-izen of the United States, residing at Green Bay, in the county of Browngand State of isconsin, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Protective Cages for Blow-Off Cocks, of which the following is a specification.

This invention pertains to blow-off cocks for steam boilers generally, and is particularly useful in connection with locomotive boilers.

It is well known to those familiar with the care and operation of boilers that in ad dition to the usual sludge in the form of mud and dirt, which collects in the water legs of a boiler, more or less scale, particles of iron and stay bolts, and the like, collect in these legs, with the result that when the boiler is blown off through the blow-off cock, such particles not infrequently become lodged on the valve seat so as topreclude the complete closing of the valve. Obviously, the inability to close the blow-01f cock is a matter of grave danger in high pressure boilers of any kind, and particularly in locomotive boilers. I

One of the primary purposes of my present invention is to provide a protective cage which will serve to prevent access to the valve seat of scale and iron pieces of sufficient size to interfere with the closing of the valve; these fragments on the contrary being retained in the boiler, from which they are removed periodically when the boiler is taken out of service and washed out.

Another purpose of this invention is to provide a cage which is capable of use in connection with various types of blow-off cocksnow in common use, and which can be installed without altering the construction of the cooks or their attaching means.

Still another object is to provide a cage of non-corrosive metal, which will not deteriorate in use, nor become the cause of leakage between the boiler shell and the blow-off cock.

Other objects and advantages of this invention should be readily appreciated asthe same becomes better understood by reference to the following description, when consid a pipe 19.

ered in connection with drawings.

Referring to the drz'twings: Fig. 1 is a partial elevation and partial sectional view showing a blow-oft" cock equipped with my invention;

the .accon'ipanying Fig. 2 is a similar fragmentary vie w.sliow--,

ing the blow-oif valve in open position;

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of one form of my improved cage; v a

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 1, illustrating a modified form. of;v my invention and Fig. .5 is a perspective view of. the cage shown in Fig. 4:.

Referring to the drawings more in detail,

reference character 6 indicates generally the shell or casing of a blow-off cock whichis provided ad acent its inner end with a circumfe rential radial flange 7, by whichthc cock isattached to the shell 8 of a boiler through a plurality of studs; or stay bolts 9'. The casing 6 is in this instance provided sion 17 projecting inwardly from the flange 7, preferably through the wall 8 of the boil- 7 er. Between its ends the casingfi is provided with a downwardly directeddischargo spout 18, which may be lengthened to any desired extent by the connection thereto "of,

The parts thus far described are of well known construction, and in operation the valve 15 is normally seated as shown in Fig. 1, but when blowing off of the boiler 1S(lsired, the operating lever 12 is manipulated templates the provision of a protective cage,

the form of which illustrated in Figs. 1 to 3, inclusive, comprises a cylindrical; body 21 adapted tosoniewlrat snugly littheopenmg 22 1nthelbollers'hell 8,"an'd a circum- .ferential flange formed at the outer end of this body and adapted to be disposed outside the tonershell. The face of this "flange, opposed to the shell '8,'is preferably convex in shape, and the outer end of the opening 22, in which the cage is disposed, 1s preferably counter-sunk-,=.as indicated at 24:, to insure a tight, leak proof lit between the flange a-ndthe shell. The outer (face of the. flange 23 is disposed perpendicular to the longitudnial axis of the cage and his snugly against theopposed-inner [face of the cock flange 7. 'Inorder to insure a snug fit, rrespective of slight--1rregular in the face of the flange 7,-the .outer lace of flange" 23 'is preferablyprovided with a series of annular grooves '25, which enable this face to conform,..'und-er pressure, to the irregularitiesmentioned, thus ins uring,'without the en iploynient of packing, tight, leak proof joint between the cock and the cage." The flange 23 1nay, if preferred, be somewhat thinner than shown, and may be backed up by a convex ring slipped over the body of the cage and adapted'to-be clan'rped and the cook flange.

together with'the flange, between the boiler The inner end of the cage shown in Figs.

1 to 3, inclusivefisopen, and its .circuinferential. walls are provided with a series of apertures ZG, through which the water,

sludge and the like, discharged from the bo ler,inust'pass in order to be blown oil.

The apertures may be of any desired size,

but preferably are sulliciently small to prevent scale and non particles of any appreciable dimensions from passing therethrough;' consequently they cannot become lodged. between the valve and its seat so as to prevent the valve from closing. lVhen theivalve 15 is closed, the parts ass-nine the position shown in Fig. l, and when it is opened-for blow-olf purposes, it moves inwardly beyond the. apertures 26, thus affordmg connnunication through the apertures between the interior of the boiler and the blow-oft cock'casing. Anyrshidge or sedignient which may-have collected'in the. cage While gth-e'val-ve was n closed position, is. pushed inwardly through the: open end of the cz'r-ge backinto the boiler upon openingmovesuch, for instance, as brass,-.phos1.)ho r blfOl lZQ-L I copper, or other suitablematerial, which will ment of the valve; and, =f11I'lil'16Y11'lOI8, by

reason of this open end of the casing, the

inner face of the valve is at: all tiine-s-ex posed to boiler pressure, which facilitates the closing ofthe valve.-

-\; The cage 1s made of non-corrodible metal.

not corrode. o1- deteriorate under the action fv-ention is illustrated,iwhich is" particularly 'apphcableto another well known form of blew-oil cock, known as the gate valve type. The details of this valve are not shown, and it believed to be sullicient to state that within the enlarged portion 27 of the valve casing there is disposed a gatevalve adapted to b opened and] closed by actuation of the operating lever'28. "lhe blownoil products aredischarged with this type of valve horifzontally through thedelivery pipe 29.

l This type of valve also is equipped with the attaching flange 7, and thecage in this instance comprises the cylindricalbody 21 and the flange 23 adz'rptedhi-be clamped, be-

tween the flange T and the boiler shell 8; In

tliisf instance, howeventhe inner end of the cage is closed by a wall 31, which may if desired be provided with a series of perforations through which the blow-off proclucts may enter the cage fron rthe boilers;

Preferably, however, the wall is in'iperforate, and water and sludge being blown oil must enter the cage radially -through the perforations 2-6.

The egress from the boiler is therefore in proxin'iity'to and along the line;

of the outer wall f the boiler, and conse-- quently produces ininin uin agitation in the boiler leg. Furthermore, when the boiler is refilled through the blow-off cock, the refill .wateris delivered radially from the cage-z in proximity to theonter shell, and is prevented from striking directly against the inner hot shell of the boiler leg sons to cause injury thereto. The same advantages respecting egress. and ingress through} the cage are also present in the form of the invention shown in Figs. 1 to 3, wherein the.

outer end of the shell is substantially closed bythe valve disk when in. open position.

It will be apparentfroni the foregoing v that "I have provided a protective cage for blow-off cocks, which prevents solid pieces and particles from passing from the boiler into or partially into the blow-oft cock,

wherethey would interfere with the closing.

ll'lQVQlljlQlltS of the valve, and cause the same to st ck in open or partially openv position.

The cage, being clamped between thecock casing and the boiler shell, is capable of being readily installed, either in conjunc tion with new blow-offv cocks, o'r ill (LY be applied to old cocks alreadv in use. Thecage is non-corrosive, and is sufficiently malleable to insure a'tight, leak proof fit betweenthe cock and the boiler. shell and'directs the water flowing vtherethrough radially from and into the boiler.

The size, shape, proportion and structural details of the invent-ion may obviously be varied Within considerable limits Without departing from the essence of the invention, as defined in the following claims.

I claim:

1. The combination with a boiler shell, of a blow-oft cock provided adjacent its inner end with an attaching flange, a cylindrical perforated cage provided With a flange adapted to be disposed between said cock flange and said boiler shell, and means for drawing said cock flange toward said shell to clamp said cage flange in position there between, the cylindrical body of said cage projecting through the shell into the interior of the boiler.

2. The combination with a boiler shell, of a blow-off cock provided at its inner end with a circumferential attaching flange, means for attaching said flange to the boiler shell, and a cage comprising a portion adapted to be clan'iped between said cock flange and said shell and a cylindrical perforated portion projecting through said shell into the interior of the boiler.

3. The combination With a boiler shell, of a bloW-olf cock provided with a circumferential attaching flange, means for attaching said flange to the boiler shell, and a cage comprising a cylindrical perforated portlon and a flange portion interposed between said shell and said cock, said flange portion between which and said shelL'said cage flange is clamped.

5. A protective cage for blow-off cocks,

comprising a cylindrical portion perforated near one end and provided at its other end with a malleable circumferential flange, the outer face of said'flange being provided with annular grooves.

6; A protective cage for blow-off cocks,

comprising a cylindrical perforated body provided at one end with a circumferential flange presenting at one side a flat grooved face and at the other side a convex contour.

7 Banner BECKER. 

